6: Embrace the positive power of being non-technical within a tech company (Deniz Cebenoyan, Senior Product Manager – Revinate)

Empjoyment: Real-life stories from diverse career changers into non-technical jobs in digital tech companies. Join Nemo Ashong in empowering diversity in tech by helping career changers transition into non-technical roles in tech companies.

Full episode summary: https://empjoyment.com/denizcebenoyan

You got this!

Deniz Cebenoyan, our featured Empjoyee, reminds us that you already know what you need to know to be able to be widely successful in tech. It’s not about the specific skill sets that you possess, but rather how you approach problems, adversity, ambiguity, and more that plays a key a role in your ability to add value in a tech company.

Deniz sheds some light on the Imposter Syndrome and how she has transformed her view on her non-technical background from that of a hindrance to a form of strength and differentiation in the workplace. Deniz’ own career journey has taken her from research to product management and she still leverages that background daily.

Through that journey, she’s developed a confidence and a mindset that will help you embrace the postiive power of being non-technical in a tech company. Enjoy!

Listen now to learn how to:

• Determine which product features to pursue and when through a product management process
• Use a background outside of tech to your advantage to design products that end users would enjoy
• Work through the fear and Imposter Syndrome of not being super knowledgeable in tech

TL;DL (Too long; Didn’t Listen): 3 Actionable Takeaways

• Find a friend who has a background in tech to go over your resume to help you translate your experiences to incorporate terms a potential employer would understand
• Surround yourself with people you trust to help fill and support your gaps (and vice versa as your personal experience and view of the world is valuable)
• Do your own research on potential features and suggestions prior to pursing product enhancements to confirm the value that you are looking to provide to both your company and your customers

From Insight to Action

Deniz fueled us all with tangible examples of how she’s leveraged her non-technical background to help her succeed at her job. Now we’d like you to figure out how you can do the same and start changing your story from a place of scarcity and weakness to a place of abundance and confidence.

Your Joyney: Share one skill / trait from your background outside of tech that could translate to a unique contribution in a tech company within the Empjoyment Community (feel free to drop in a video explaining it to us if you’d like).

Getting to Know Today’s Featured Empjoyee: Deniz Cebenoyan!

Deniz Cebenoyan has a B.S. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon.

She spends her day time solving problems for a tech company and my night time writing stories and songs to no one.

An east coast transplant, Deniz also enjoys sitting in cafes and wondering why everyone is hiking all the time.